Dusk's Dark Love
by Black Lighted Clouds
Summary: Dusk/Caelan. Caelan is forced to live with Dusk for a week as Dusk tries to rekindle the love they once had and face up to the past.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: To anyone who's wondering why I'm posting this instead of my Po5 fics, I'm waiting for MadCatta to beta those for me and did this in the meantime. I think I used the word vampire too often, though . . . **

Caelan looked around the dark room sadly, knowing what was to come. He heard him a moment before he appeared in front of him; Dusk. The vampire stared at him for several long moments before, with unusual gentleness, he placed a white hand on his sharp cheekbone. Dusk gave Caelan a half-smile as he caressed his pale face softly, saying quietly, "I didn't think you'd come."

"I had no choice." The other vampire replied in his usual smooth manner, but this time there was an underlying sorrow laced into his words. Dusk's smile disappeared, but instead of reacting in violence and anger, as was his nature, he gazed upon Caelan in desperation. "You still hate me?"

A spark of anger welled up in the vampire. "Why wouldn't I?" he hissed, half-hoping to provoke Dusk into attacking him, that would be easier to endure than this tenderness. "I was happy with my mortal existence, until you ruined it. Why should I forgive you, especially when you feel no remorse?"

Dusk removed his hand from Caelan's face to grip his shoulder instead, his right hand coming up to do the same. "It's true I don't feel bad for turning you," he began, "But I do feel remorse for putting you through so much pain. I never thought you would hate it so much; I thought you'd be happy . . ."

Caelan averted his eyes, unable to bare the emotion he saw in Dusks dark eyes, ". . . with me. I only turned you because I couldn't face the thought that you would one day die as a mortal and I would live all alone for ever. I wanted us to be together."

He held Caelan's face in his hands and leaned forward so their foreheads were touching, two shades of black hair entwining. "I still want us to be together. I returned to Dublin to help Vengeous because I saw it as a cover for finding you. I was going to wait until you forgave me; until you found me." He was so close, Caelan could feel his breath ghosting his mouth, could sense his lips. "But I can't wait forever. I _need_ you." And their mouths met as Dusk closed that single millimetre of space.

He pulled back after getting no reaction, sighing in frustration. He looked at the other vampire, studying him, before murmuring, "You remember the terms of the agreement?"

"You will give Valkyrie and the detective the information they need on the condition that I spend a week with you," Caelan recited stoically. "I am not allowed to leave until noon on the last day unless you take me somewhere with you and I must do as you ask of me, or you will not provide your end of the bargain."

Though Dusk didn't seem pleased with the way Caelan answered, he smirked in response and said, "Seven days and six nights are a long time, Caelan. I think you'll see things my way by the end." Next thing the other male knew, he was flying through the air before being slammed into the wall that had been about twelve metres behind him, Dusk pressing him there. He grinned, something akin to hunger shadowing his face. He leaned in once more and brushed Caelan's ear with his mouth, whispering, "We haven't had one of our little meetings in quite a few years, mm? I'm sure what I'm going to do to you here will bring back some memories."

One hand locked around Caelan's throat in an iron grip while the other seized his black hair roughly. He cemented their mouths together once more, not bothering to wait for a reaction this time, instead violently forcing Caelan's mouth open with his tongue and thrusting it in, nearly choking him. Eventually, he broke the kiss and pulled back, looking at Caelan's flushed cheeks as he panted, trying to breathe again. Dusk loosened his hold on Caelan's hair and neck, keeping his hands in place without gripping. He smiled once more, half in amusement and half in adoration. "If you're like this already," he let go of Caelan's hair completely and grabbed his left hand instead, guiding it down to rest on his hardened crotch, easily felt through the material of his trousers. "I'm going to have you screaming in pleasure in less than an hour."

Caelan gave him a dark look, his body cringing back as far as possible from Dusk. "I'm like this because I couldn't breathe," he spat, "I will have nothing to do with you again once this is over. Keep in mind that while I allow you to do whatever you wish with my body," he lost what little colour his pallid cheeks had at this, but carried on none the less, "I will _not_ enjoy it. That will not change, no matter what you do."

Dusk looked at him for several long moments, face impassive, eyes glowing. Caelan wondered vaguely if the vampire was going to hit him. However, all he did was say softly, "We'll see. As I said, we have plenty of time." He smirked nastily then and Caelan's stomach churned with dread. "And speaking of time, guess what? It's bed time."

XXXXX

"Who cares, Val?" Tanith sighed, exasperated with Valkyrie's persistent nagging. "He'll be fine."

"No he won't!" the teenager cried. "He's up against Dusk! You know what happened when he tried to fight him, Caelan's no match for him! We have to help him."

"Caelan was aware of the risks when he agreed to help us." Skulduggery said, deciding to add his two cents into the conversation. "He's a vampire, he knows what vampire nature is like, I'm sure he can hold his own should the need arise."

Fletcher, who was sitting on a chair in the background, muttered, "Stupid vamp . . . trying to impress my girl to lure her away . . ." Wisely, they all ignored him.

Skulduggery continued, "Anyway, Dusk's conditions said that he would return to us in a week, so don't worry about it. We'll throw him a party when he comes back." Valkyrie shot him a dirty look. Ghastly chose that moment to get involved. "What I don't understand, is why Dusk set those specific conditions." He said, frowning thoughtfully.

His skeleton friend shrugged. "Doesn't matter, it'll be over soon, Dusk will hand over the information and Caelan."

"And if he doesn't?" Valkyrie challenged. The skull turned to face her. "Then we'll just have to go there and retrieve it by force." Valkyrie didn't know if he meant the information or her vampire friend and she certainly didn't want to find out.

XXXXX

Dusk opened the door and walked out into the hallway, a smirk and sweat on his face, a gleam of satisfaction and delight, almost bliss, in his eyes. Caelan lay on his back on the half-smashed bed, panting, flushed and naked, his clothes lying in shreds on the floor across the room from when Dusk had ripped them clean off his body and thrown them over his shoulder, trickles of blood running down his chest and neck from the harsh bites the vampire had inflicted on him. He simply lay there, in too much pain to move or even cover himself. But what would be the point in that? Dusk would just tear that off of him too. Speaking of Dusk, Caelan heard his light footsteps as he returned, closing the door behind him.

Caelan closed his eyes as he waited for Dusk to do something, but he could feel him just standing in the room and from the brief scene he saw, he guessed the vampire was staring at him, his gaze making Caelan feel contaminated and disgusting. '_As if what you just did wasn't enough,_' he thought weakly.

The mattress suddenly dipped as Dusk sat down beside him; he heard a faint clunk as the vampire deposited something on the small wooden bedside table. A hand, strong and cold as death, brushed his black hair back onto the pillow, away from his eyes as Dusk whispered in his ear, "Enjoy that?"

Caelan shook his head. He could hear the frown in Dusks voice as he asked, "Why not? You used to love me pounding you into the mattress." A smirk almost certainly wormed its way across his face as he added, "Or any other surface that happened to be available at the time. What's different this time?"

_'We're vampires this time?'_ Caelan thought bitterly. What he actually managed to force out, hoarsely, was, "Pain."

Dusk flinched as he looked down at his love – especially when he saw that blood was tricking down another part of his anatomy. _'I didn't think I did it that hard . . .'_ He forced an unconcerned, lazy grin on his face and drawled, "You used to like it rough, Seth."

Caelan's eyes shot wide open and the next thing he knew, Dusk was sprawled on his back on the floor, clutching his jaw as pain radiated from it, looking up at the vampire who was glaring at him fiercely, anger, pain and unshed tears visible in his dark eyes. "Don't you ever call me that!" he roared. "You lost the right to call me that a long time ago!"

In his rage, Caelan jumped off of the bed and turned to the small window that showed the light of the dying sun and for the first time in his life, Caelan wished the night would come soon so he could transform into his horrific other side, so he could have a chance at ripping Dusk's head off once and for all. Instead of feeling pain in his gut, however, he felt it in his forearm. Twisting round, he realised Dusk had inserted a syringe into his arm, flooding his bloodstream with some strange concoction. He lashed out, but the other male caught his other wrist in an iron grip and held fast, explaining, "It's a useful little brew I found out about; it suppresses our natures at night. I only have a limited time with you, Caelan and I do not intend to spend half of it fighting you."

He released the other vampire and backed up, towards the door, saying, "I can see this has been a bit too much for you. I'll come back later when you need another dose, maybe you'll be a bit calmer by then. Meanwhile, I have someone to see. Get some rest." He turned and closed the door as fast as he could, hearing through the reinforced steel Caelan's furious cry of "DUSK!!" and the beating he was unleashing on the other side of it, trying to break through.

_'It'll take you hours to do that without transforming,' _Dusk thought grimly. He turned and hurried to his own bedroom (he'd put Caelan in one of the spare rooms, knowing he might want space from him at some point) and got changed into his usual black clothes, heading out of the window, plotting carefully. He's taken a dose of the wolfsbane and hemlock earlier than usual, so by the time he arrived, it should wear off and leave him perfectly able to fight. He smirked evilly, his recent scar making him look more deranged than usual as he picked up his pace, thinking, _'Time to get what you deserve, Moloch._'

**A/N: Okay, just so no one sends me confused reviews, I'm saying that Dusk and Caelan knew each other as humans (this ties into the plot so I won't say too much) and Seth was Caelan's human name. I'm assuming he did take a new name upon becoming a vampire, 'cause the rest of them all did and he needed the protection for his name or whatever. Okay?**

**P.S. If in the fifth book we find out Caelan or Dusk's real name, I'll change it, but for now they're Seth and . . . anyone want to guess Dusk's name?**


	2. Chapter 2

_"Seth, get down from there! You'll hurt yourself!" _

_The seventeen year old in question grinned and turned his head to look down at the concerned male below him, shouting, "Don't worry! I'm fine up here!"_

_"You're gonna fall!"_

_Seth laughed light heartedly. "You worry too much!" he called down, just as the branch he was swinging from snapped and he plummeted towards the earth. He winced, expecting to land on the hard ground, but instead hit something slightly softer and much warmer. He sat up and looked down at his twenty year old friend, grinning again. "Thanks Mark!"_

_The other male grumbled and pushed Seth away a little bit to sit up. "If you didn't go climbing up things, you wouldn't fall and I wouldn't need to catch you!"_

_ Seth's smile slipped away and he looked down at the grass, shamed. "Sorry, Mark." The man regarded him for a minute before putting an arm around him, ruffling his black hair. "It's okay. I'm sorry I yelled. Just be a bit more careful next time, alright?"_

_"What makes you think there'll be another time I need saving?"_

_The elder man laughed for the first time. "Because there always is, Seth! You're just lucky I'll always be here for you."_

_The younger boy hugged him, whispering in his ear, "Yes, I am lucky to have you." He squeezed the other man tight, glad to be there in his arms._

Caelan woke with a start, looking around to check where he was. Realising it was all a dream; he sat up and put a hand to his forehead, leaning forwards so his elbow was resting on his knee. _'It's been so long since I thought about that . . .'_

"Good dream?"

Caelan jerked his head back up to look at his former best friend, starting as he saw the blood covering his clothes. He recovered himself and snarled, "It was, actually. The way it used to be."

Dusk sighed and moved further into the room. "I thought that's what it was about, I heard you say my name. Mark." Caelan looked away, unable to gaze into neither his handsome face nor at the red liquid soaking his clothes.

"Here." He looked back at Dusk with surprise as said vampire held out a flask to him. He took it tentatively and unscrewed the cap quickly, looking down at its contents. "Who'd you kill to get this?"

Dusk raised an eyebrow at him, pausing from drinking from his own flask. "Would you rather I kill to feed or let them become infected?" Caelan didn't answer, but Dusk knew he'd won the argument, especially when Caelan raised the silver flask to his lips and drank the blood within it, long and deep, like he hadn't drunk in months. Dusk reconsidered the thought, noting how Caelan seemed tired and his reactions slow by vampire standards. _'Maybe he really hasn't fed in a while . . .'_

"Why are you drinking from one of these too?" Dusk was broken out of his reverie by his love's smooth voice, blinking once in surprise before switching his eyes to his direction. Caelan nodded at the state of his clothing. "Looks like you already drank; don't you want to save the rest for later?"

Realising what he was going on about, Dusk gave a harsh laugh, a shadow of the joyful sound it had once been, explaining, "Oh, this isn't human blood; it's Moloch's."

It's a good thing Caelan had just set his flask down on the bedside table or he would've dropped it on the floor. He gaped at the other vampire as if he were mad, before exclaiming, "Wh- Moloch?! Are you crazy?! Why would you kill another vampire?!"

Dusk shot him a dry look. "You're the last person I'd expect to preach about killing another vampire, Caelan. Besides, I didn't kill him. I just taught him a lesson."

"Why?"

"He hurt you." Dusk gave him a look that clearly said, _wasn't that obvious? _Caelan shook his head, disbelief evident on his face, "So what? Lots of vampires have hurt me–"

"Who?!" Dusk roared. Caelan jumped back in alarm at the maddened look in his eyes. Dusk seized his arm and pulled him closer. "Who hurt you? Damn it, Caelan, tell me so I can beat the little shits to within an inch of their lives!"

Caelan wrenched his arm away from his fellow vampire, jumping off the bed and backing towards the wall. "I don't know who they are, just that their vampires! I'm not exactly on friendly terms with the community, am I? And why," he added, face hardening like stone, arms folded in front of his chest. "Does it even matter to you who hurt me? You hurt me worse than anyone else ever did!"

Dusk went rigid on the bed, staring at him, his face twisted as if in pain. "I never wanted to hurt you . . ." he whispered.

Caelan laughed harshly, no mirth to be heard whatsoever. "You didn't want to hurt me? What do you call ruining my happy, human life? What do you call throwing me around the room? What do you call . . ."

Caelan went white, seemingly unable to finish his sentence, no longer gazing at Dusk, but at the bed he was perched upon, and below that, on the floor, the shreds that was his clothing, a horrible reminder of what had happened before, and he shivered, despite the layer of clothes he had managed to find in the room he had donned.

A wave of despair washed over Dusk as he realised that his plan to be with Caelan again was backfiring horribly on him; the shame and disgust at himself was obvious in Caelan's dark eyes and from the way he rubbed at his arms, as if there was some kind of invisible muck clinging to his skin that he had to get off. Dusk opened his mouth, not sure what he was going to say, when the not quite closed door was kicked all the way open and smashed into the wall. A vampire who Caelan didn't know by name, but was aware of being one of Moloch's "family" members threw himself at Dusk before either he or Caelan had time to react. Dusk's instincts kicked in and he swiftly moved to the side, seizing the intruders arm as he sailed passed, unable to stop and launched him into the wall opposite.

Dusk ran towards the idiotic creature, with the intention of beating him thoroughly, Moloch's henchman leapt to his feet and attacked – Caelan this time, not Dusk. Dusk's eyes widened in horror as Caelan ducked to avoid the first blow and landed a punch right in the other vampires sternum, knocking him to the floor. The creature was astoundingly quick, however, and was back on his feet almost before he touched the ground. He swiped at Caelan again, taking him by surprise.

But the blow landed on Dusk as he threw himself in the way to protect Caelan, slamming his fist into the henchman's jaw a second later and sending him flying through a window. He stalked over to the shattered glass square and called out, "Tell Moloch if he wants another fight, come here to get me himself!"

Dusk breath heavily as he glared down at the figure scurrying away; until he felt cold hands gently take hold of his arm and turn him to face the appendages owner. Caelan was not looking at him, his eyes were locked on Dusk's side, near his kidneys, where the blow had landed, the vampires fingernails slashing through Dusk's skin like daggers, blood flowing slightly from the open wound. Taking charge, Caelan guided Dusk over to the bed and pushed him down, ripping a section of the sheet off before folding it and pressing it to the gash to stop the flow.

Dusk stared at him, speechless. Caelan glanced up and for a brief moment, their eyes met, Caelan's dark orbs devoid of anger, fear of sadness for the first time in God knows how long. Then he looked down, busy with his task. Dusk smiled to himself, feeling a small drop of hope surge within him.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: A huge thank you to Firelle Nym for talking to Mr DEREK LANDY himself at a book signing (is that what it was?) and finding out the colour of Dusk's eyes for me. Love you, sarge! I just realised that what I have in mind for Dusk's Dark Love is like a twisted version of Beauty and the Beast– how the hell did that happen? **O_O

The two vampires sat together on the still-broken bed, in a somewhat companionable silence. At least, the aversion Caelan had been showing to Dusk since he got there had dissipated somewhat. Dusk, for his part, was acutely aware of the fact that it was now noon on his third day with his love and he was running out of time. He had to make Caelan remember the love they once had, to make him fall in love with him all over again, or he'd probably never see him again. This was his one chance and he only had three and a half days left.

He shifted as these dark thoughts swirled around in his mind, wincing slightly as pain rippled up from his side. Caelan had cleaned and bandaged the wound, far more gently than Dusk ever could have imagined, taking great care not to hurt Dusk more than he had to. Dusk took this as a good sign for his plan's progression, but it still didn't dull the pain from near his kidneys.

"Is it still hurting you?" the smooth voice asked softly. Dusk looked up and saw Caelan gazing at him through his eyelashes, a bored, disinterested look on his face, but the faintest light of concern in the dark depths.

Dusk smirked. "Not at all."

"Liar." Caelan replied – but there was no accusation in his voice or his eyes, the smallest of smiles gracing his lips as he gave Dusk a look that was almost fond. That look alone was enough to dull the pain.

Dusk suddenly burst out laughing, causing the other vampire to give him a rather alarmed look. "What is it?" the younger male demanded.

When Dusk had got his chuckling under control, he leaned forward slightly and said, "Do you remember, when we went to that festival and Mary chucked the ball right in the centre of the target and Ben went right into the tank?"

Caelan grinned as the memory came back to him. "Oh yeah, I remember that – complained for a month afterwards, he never did have a sense of humour."

"Yeah, going on about how his side," Dusk gestured towards the spot his own wound was located, "hit the side of the tank when he fell in and he was going to have pneumonia and all sorts. I never could understand how she put up with him."

"I know what you mean; I was so proud of Mary, for an old lady, she had a bloody good right throw!" Caelan exclaimed, nodding and laughing in agreement with Dusk's statement.

The two former friends lapsed into talking about their past, something that, for once, caused them no pain. For the night, Dusk was filled with hope, as he tucked the sleeping Caelan into bed softly kissed his forehead to not wake him, setting off to set up the next part of his plan ready for the morning; because, for just a little while, Caelan had not hated him.

XXXXX

Dusk walked along the country county, remembering a night, just like this one, many years ago, when something happened that he would always remember. He knew Caelan had thought of it too, but Dusk did not mention it as he knew he had reached a fragile truce with the younger male and he didn't want to push it just yet. But still, as he stared at the rushing stream, he couldn't help but become lost in the memory.

_"Sorry, boys, but I've got to go – I swear that man could moan for Ireland, England and half of Wales!" the old woman sighed, shaking her white-haired head, though her eyes seemed to gleam with mischief. "So, can you two keep yourselves occupied for the rest of the night?"_

_"Sure thing, Mary!" Seth assured her, delight layering his voice. Mark smiled and shook his head at his friend's attitude, nodding his gratitude and waving goodbye to the sweet old lady, as she hobbled off after the moaning and dripping wet man._

_The happy teenager besides him seized his arm and dragged him off on any number of foolish rides and games cubicles, until finally he had put his foot down and demanded they go somewhere quiet, somewhere secluded. And Seth, of course, used to this demand from his anti-social friend, already had the perfect spot in mind – the river. Who would be there when there was so much fun to be had at the fair?_

_The two males walked to the centre of the bridge and sat down, their heads below the railing, legs swinging over the edge. They sat in companionable silence, as was their usual pastime. Mark glanced at the other boy before placing his hand over Seth's. Seth glanced at him, then looking away as he decided it was an accident, but not moving his hand away._

_Mark removed his hand except for the tips of two of his fingers and began to walk them up the bare flesh of Seth's arm, before reaching his shoulder. He softly guided them up over Seth's throat, over his jaw, hesitating when he neared his lips, but steering them away, instead tickling behind Seth's ear. A grin broke over the boy's face and he laughed, ducking his head and breaking the contact of their skin._

_"Mark!" he yelled, still laughing, "That tickles!"_

_"I know," Mark smirked, "That's why I did it."_

_Seth tried to look affronted, but only managed to hold such a serious facial expression for about five seconds, before succumbing to his laughter again. Mark gazed at him as he expressed his mirth, slowly shifting closer and closer until their legs and sides were pressing against each other. He raised his hand and gripped Seth's head, his palm holding his jaw, fingers on his face and in his hair._

_The laughter died on Seth's lips as he stared at his long-time best friend. His breathing grew heavier and he tried to look away, but Mark gripped the other side of his face the same way he gripped the right and forced him, albeit gently, to look at him as he moved poked his head forward and kissed the other boy's startled lips._

_He stared at the elder male as he leaned away. He didn't ask stupid questions, he knew what that had meant, he knew Mark was aware of his feelings, he knew Mark felt the same. But the thought that this could actually happen . . . _

_"It's wrong." He whispered. "We're both male . . . it's unnatural."_

_Mark shook his head and pressed their mouths together once more. When he released Seth and pulled back, he murmured, "Only because they say it's wrong. Who are they to judge anyway?"_

_"But . . ." Seth mumbled, trying to find some ground for the argument he had been taught to believe._

_Mark cut him off, "I love you. I love you, and you love me, and that's all that matters." He pushed the Seth to lie on his back on the hard, wooden bridge, as he leant over him. "It's all that matters. Just for tonight, let's forget about them and love each other the way he really do."_

Dusk shivered as he turned his mind back to the present. As he turned to finished his business and then return to his home, he swore, he and Caelan would have each other again one day. And nothing would get in the way of that.

XXXXX

"No peaking, now," Dusk whispered into Caelan's ear as they walked along, Dusk guiding Caelan by holding his hand, the younger vampire's dark eyes squeezed shut as per the elder's request. Dusk had gently shaken Caelan awake and, without rhyme or reason, driven him out deep into the country side of Ireland, then parked and got out, telling Caelan to close his eyes for the last kilometre or so.

Suddenly Dusk held Caelan firm from behind, halting him. "Okay, now open your eyes." Caelan did so – and gasped as he realised where they were. They were in a beautiful part of the Irish highlands, grass and trees and flowers surrounding them; the rain had stopped to allow bright, clear sunshine to beat down on their shoulders and warm them up. A small river flowed by, gurgling away happily, the outlines of healthy fish just visible in the clean water. But it wasn't the beautiful scenery that drew Caelan's attention, it was the building.

In front of him stood a modest cottage with a thatched roof, the outer design black and white, the door a deep, oak leaf green with an old-fashioned wooden knocker in the centre of the wood. Two windows right at the front of the house were covered by pristine white net curtains and an old, but not crumbling redbrick chimney poked out of the ceiling. Caelan could only stare at it, lost in the many memories that flooded him at the sight of the place.

"Caelan?" Dusk asked, sounding slightly uncertain.

Calean swallowed, forcing down the lump in his throat. "Mary's cottage."

Dusk nodded, hesitating for a moment, before slipping an arm around Caelan's waist and turning to face the small building. "Mary's cottage," he confirmed, "I've been keeping an eye on the place ever since she died. Her nephew and his family wanted to sell it so they could move to Australia, or something like that, so I jumped in with an offer."

He glanced at Caelan out of the corner of his eye. "Do you like it?"

Caelan turned his head to stare at Dusk, dark brown eyes gazing into grey. "It's wonderful. Thank you for bringing me here." He smiled at Dusk, for the first time in many years. Dusk smiled back – his first genuine smile in a very long time. He paused for a second, before leaning forward and resting their foreheads together, breathing in Caelan's scent and enjoying the feeling of warmth that came from being close to the person you love.

**A/N: Kinda sappy, but that's just a cushion as I'm going to get into the angst in the next chapter. Hope you liked it!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: A HUGE apology to Hunter-Windstalker and LilianaPitchblack for not continuing this on Friday, like I said I would . . . but it's only Sunday and I've focused it on Dusk/Caelan instead of the plot . . . hope you like it!**

The Bentley ground to a gentle halt. Valkyrie opened the door and got out. No one else did. She bent over to look in the window. "Aren't you coming?"

"You're a big girl now, Valkyrie, I'm sure my exceptional skills will not be needed." Skullduggery told her. She glared at him, and then looked pleadingly at the others in the car.

Ghastly simply shook his head, while Tanith said, "Sorry, Val."

Fletcher sat up a little straighter. "I'll come with you, if you want."

"No thanks, Fletcher." He slumped back in his seat. Turning on her heal, Valkyrie stormed up to the house and banged on the door continuously until he answered. The contact was a grouchy old man with a bald spot, hair coming out of his ears and blood-shot eyes.

"Yeah?" he growled at her.

Swallowing down her doubt and disgust, Valkyrie said, "Benjamin Reighly?"

The old man nodded, irritated. Valkyrie continued, "What can you tell me about the vampires, Dusk and Caelan?"

He gaped at her in horror before trying to slam the door in her face. She pushed against the air and it was flung open again. She stalked down the corridor as the man tried to scurry away from her. "I'm not going to hurt you," she told him in what she hoped was a soothing tone, "I just want whatever information you can give me and then I'll leave you in peace."

The man swore angrily as he paced around the confined space like an agitated tiger. "Damn it! I thought when Mark left, that would be the end of it."

"Mark?" Valkyrie questioned, frowning. The Reighly snapped his jaw shut, furious with himself.

"Who is Mark? What does he have to do with Dusk?"

The man looked up, no longer angry. He gave her a long, blank stare before answering, "Mark was Dusk's given name – before he became a vampire."

Valkyrie's eye went wide with astonishment. Perhaps the man was helpful after all . . . "And Caelan?"

Reighly looked away again. "I knew him as Seth. Nice boy; happy, courteous, not like the teenagers you get today . . ." he switched his gaze to a spot on the opposite wall – a very filthy wall – and whispered softly to himself, though Valkyrie still heard him, "He didn't deserve to be one of them, he didn't want to be one of them . . . damn Mark to Hell for what he's done. Mark was supposed to be his friend . . . his best friend . . ."

Valkyrie listened with amazement. "Do you mean . . . was Dusk the one who turned Caelan into a vampire?"

Reighly nodded. "Why did he do that?" the girl asked. "If they were friends?"

Reighly snorted and turned to look at her directly in the eyes. With a slightly twisted grin, he explained, "They were a little bit closer than "just friends" if you know what I mean. Might be somewhat accepted these days, but not all those years ago." The man shook his head sadly. "They thought we didn't know. We'd known for quite some time . . ."

"That still doesn't answer my question." Valkyrie insisted.

"It was my fault," Reighly said, "I should have let Mark die."

Valkyrie opened her mouth in stunned shock at what the man had just said but he carried on, "He was attacked, you see. By a vampire, all though we didn't realise it at the time. It was going to kill him, but I came along and fired my gun, scared it off. So he lived. But he was infected."

Seemingly weary with talking about his past, the man lowered himself, groaning, onto the dirty dark carpet. "He was infected. We just thought it was the shock, that it had made him ill. Until he started attacking people. Until he started killing people."

Reighly sighed heavily, a look of despair creeping across his face. "Seth thought he could be saved, the silly bugger. Tried to reason with him. But Mark, instead of listening, ran off to join a coven of them blasted things. They told him all about being a vampire; what was going to happen to him, how he could be killed, the laws of their society," Reighly spat the last word out with uncontained disgust. "And the immortality. They thought it would make him happy, but it upset him, when he realised that he would live forever, when his precious Seth would grow old and die."

Reighly looked up and Valkyrie again, tears streaming down his face at the memories. "And he couldn't have that, could he?"

Valkyrie left the man to his sorrowful musings, unable to think of how to comfort him and got back in the Bentley, ignoring the others concerned questions as she pondered what she had been told.

XXXXX

_Mark pulled back, licking his lips that still tasted of Seth. The younger male grinned up at him, his cheeks colouring at Mark's lustful and adoring stare. He reached out and brushed his fingers along Mark's jaw. "We have to go," he said reluctantly._

_"I know," Mark answered ruefully, kissing Seth's palm before standing up. He pulled on his clothes as Seth did the same in silence. Checking the coast was clear, he grabbed Seth's hand and guided him out of the house, keeping to the trees on the country road so they could maintain the contact until the last minute. When the town loomed ahead, Mark yanked Seth into his arms and placed a lingering kiss on his lips._

_As Seth moved away, he smiled at his lover again, "Tomorrow night?"_

_Mark nodded, releasing his love and waving goodbye as he hurried away. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he walked off down another, deserted lane. Suddenly, he sensed someone near. Turning on his heal, he saw a tall man with dark hair and very white skin sneering at him. Mark simply raised his eyebrows at the man._

_"That your boyfriend?" the stranger hissed._

_Mark lost most of his colour – this was not good, no one could know about them, it would put them both in danger._

_"He's cute. You have good taste." The man carried on in a conversational tone. Mark's eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"_

_A dangerous glint showed in the other man's pale eyes. "Food."_

_Mark raised an eyebrow skeptically, "Food?"_

_The pale man's lips curled back and Mark jumped in shock. The stranger had fangs! _

_"Yeah," he hissed again, eyes glowing as he took a step forwards, "Food." Then he threw himself at Mark before the human could react._

_Ben stormed through the country streets, glancing around irritably at every avenue. Where the hell was Mark? It was getting late . . . He turned a corner and found Mark – lying on his back with some maniac on top of him!_

_Ben ran forwards to help the other male, drawing his revolver as he did so, "Hey! Get off of him!"_

_The attacker looked up and Ben recoiled in horror. The man had blood coating mouth, dribbling down his neck. He smirked at the frightened human, revealing white fangs stained red with blood. Ben looked down at his friend and realised it was Mark's blood, if the laceration in his neck and the rapid puddle pooling up were any indication. Without hesitation, Ben aimed the gun at the strangers shoulder and fired. With a sharp grunt of pain, the creature hauled itself off of it's victim and snarled furiously at the interfering human. Ben sent another bullet into his chest. It screeched and jumped gracefully onto a stone wall encasing the road, sailing over it and fleeing into the night._

XXXXX

_Mary opened the door quietly and sighed inaudibly as she came across the same scene she had seen for the last two days. Mark was sitting against the wall, bandages around his neck, gazing with glazed eyes at nothing. Seth sat beside him, holding both of Mark's hands in his, staring at his friends face, concern and desperation marring his handsome face._

_She crossed the room to him and tentatively touched his shoulder. "Come on, dear," she murmured, "It's time to go."_

_"I can't leave him," Seth said brokenly. Mary sighed. She knew Seth blamed himself for not staying with Mark the night he was attacked. But there was nothing he could have done even if he was with Mark, not with the freak Ben described._

_"Mark won't blame you," she told him softly. He flinched. "It wasn't your fault. And Mark's a strong lad, he'll pull through. Now come downstairs and get something to eat; no one's going to benefit from you sitting cooper up in here wasting away and half-frozen."_

_Seth nodded jerkily after a few moments. When Mary turned her back, he kissed Mark's forehead softly. "I'll be right back," he whispered._

_When the door clicked behind them, Mark moved for the first time in over twenty-four hours, looking out of the window as the sun set. The sound of smashing glass alerted the three humans downstairs as to his departure._

**A/N: Sorry, I don't have time to carry this on, so I'll give you this part and post part two up tomorrow.**


End file.
